1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of compression and storage of fluids and particularly to compression of gaseous matter. More specifically the present invention relates to an apparatus in the form of a modular radial compressor for compressing any gas or gaseous matter hereinafter referred to as a fluid, including at least one cylinder and piston assembly including a cylinder having a cylinder head and a tubular cylinder side wall and a piston structure slidably retained within the tubular cylinder side wall, the cylinder head having an intake port fitted with an intake valve for passing fluid into the cylinder from a fluid source and an output port fitted with an output valve for passing fluid out of the cylinder such as to a fluid reservoir, valve operating means, a rotatable arm structure in the form of an arm wheel having an arm structure axle and radial arm protrusions in the form of arms positioned to periodically abut and displace the piston structure inwardly toward the cylinder head, and rotational drive means drivably connected to the rotatable arm wheel for rotatably driving the arm wheel and the arms about the arm wheel rotational axis, and a piston structure return means for displacing the piston structure outwardly away from the cylinder head subsequent to each piston structure inward displacement. The compressor manufacturer decides the number of arms per arm wheel, and the number of cylinder and piston assemblies to be included is determined by the purchaser as a result of the compressor modularity. The valve operating means opens the output valve and an arm abuts and displaces the piston structure toward the cylinder head, driving fluid within the cylinder out of the cylinder through the output port, and then the valve operating means closes the output valve and opens the intake valve and the piston structure return means displaces the piston structure outwardly, away from the cylinder head and the intake port, thereby drawing fluid through the intake port into the cylinder from the fluid source, in a periodically repeating cycle. The cylinder and piston assembly and arm wheel preferably are both fastened to an apparatus framework to position them in operational relation with each other. The apparatus framework preferably includes an apparatus housing preferably having a polygonal or round shape and enclosing at least the arm wheel. The intake port optionally is covered by an air filter retained within an air filter housing.
Modularity is a key inventive feature of the present invention. Either one or several single cylinder and piston assemblies can be removably fastened to the framework, such as to the housing, with any suitable removable fastening means such as mounting bolts passing through the housing into or through the cylinder and piston assembly. Where mounting bolts are used, bolt holes are provided in the housing for passing the mounting bolts for each cylinder and piston assembly. These bolt holes preferably are pre-cut during housing manufacture, but alternatively may be cut any time thereafter. As a result, any desired number of cylinder and piston assemblies up to the maximum number the particular housing can accommodate can be mounted. Thus the number of cylinder and piston assemblies needed for a specific use or application can be selected and provided on an individual modular radial compressor of the present invention.
The number of arms provided on the arm structure determines the number of compression cycles the cylinder and piston assembly performs for each revolution of the arm structure, and is selected to meet the requirements of the given application. A flywheel preferably is provided adjacent the arm wheel and mounted to the arm wheel axle to provide smooth arm rotation. The piston structure preferably includes a piston connected to a piston rod. The rotational drive means preferably includes an electric drive motor connected to the arm structure with a belt and pulleys or other drive connection. Thus each modular radial compressor typically has one flywheel and one pulley, although additional ones may be added. Between the flywheel and the arm wheel, a clutch optionally connects the arms wheel to the pulley shaft after a few seconds, thereby avoiding the stress for the electric motor and avoid what is known as demand factor to the electric motor, in a 3-phase system.
The number of arms on the arm structure preferably can be altered such that the volume of fluid compressed per arm structure revolution can be altered to accommodate any of a wide variety of applications. Another variation of the present modular radial compressor includes a plurality of cylinder and piston assemblies positioned and secured to the apparatus framework to extend radially and equidistantly from the arm structure to be operated by the arms in sequence. Yet another variation of the compression apparatus includes multiple arm structure and cylinder units. The arm structures preferably are arm wheels mounted on a common arm structure axle and thus driven by a common motor drive means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been compressors for compressing gaseous matter for storage or immediate use. These prior compressors typically have included a cylinder and piston combination driven by a motor or engine. A problem with these prior compressors has been that they can produce only one compression per motor or engine revolution, limiting compression to a specific rate which may or may not be suited for a given application. If a larger compression rate is needed, a different and larger compressor must be located.
Stanziola, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,764, issued on Oct. 10, 1972, discloses a method and apparatus for generating electricity including a series of cylinder and piston assemblies arranged radially around and in operational relation with a cam wheel. A shortcoming of Stanziola, et al. is that there is no provision for altering the number of cylinder and piston assemblies positioned around the cam wheel to meet specific requirements.
Other references cited in the parent application are incorporated by reference into this section, including but not limited to Palmer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,904,799; Cornwell, U.S. Patent Publication Number 2004/0213679A1; Goettel U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,206; Hedstrom U.S. Pat. No. 895,755; Wang U.S. Patent Publication Number 2004/0141855 A1; Tyler U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,538; Lochmann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,046; Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,512; Pepperman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,596; and Kubeczka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,714.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a modular radial compressor which can compress a fluid at any of several different rates selectable for a given job or application, the apparatus including an arm structure or a multiple arms structure rotatably driven by drive means and at least one cylinder and piston assembly driven through compression cycles by contact with at least one arm protrusion on the rotating structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a modular radial compressor for which a specific desired rate of fluid compression can be selected by: selecting the number of cylinder and piston assembly compressions per revolution of motor drive means by altering the number of arm protrusions on the rotating arm structure, or by selecting the number of cylinder and piston assemblies operated with each revolution of the motor drive means, or by selecting the number of arm structure and corresponding cylinder and piston assemblies, or by altering all three variables as needed.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a modular radial compressor which is modular in that cylinder and piston assemblies are removable and re-attachable to the compressor housing so that a desired number of cylinder and piston assemblies can be selected and attached for each particular use or application, making the compressor highly versatile.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a modular radial compressor which is inexpensive to manufacture, in part because the compressor is made in only one standard size for all applications, and which also saves money because a single modular radial compressor can be purchased, rather than several compressors have different fixed numbers of cylinder and piston assemblies for different jobs. More than the standard number of cylinder and piston assemblies for a given compressor can be installed by enlarging the size of the compressor housing or adding other cylinder and piston assembly mounting means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a modular radial compressor with which such selections can be made automatically by computer program operated electric switches.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a modular radial compressor which is reliable, durable, operates on less electricity, and is economical to manufacture.